Dispenser for rolled materials



May 12, 1964 R. N. COATES, JR

DISPENSER FOR ROLLED MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 28, 1961 mIN. A E. 0 m 0 H w m M May 1 1964 R. N. COATES, JR

DISPENSER FOR ROLLED MATERIALS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 28, 1961 1NVEN TOR. BY Qua Robert N- Coares, Jr.

May 12, 1964 R. N. COATES, JR

DISPENSER FOR ROLLED MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 28, 1961 Fig.5

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a m, SIR 0V9 Cm v n M w W a M R w United States Patent 3,132,782DISPENSER FGR ROLLED MATERIALS Robert N. Coates, Jr., 840 N. 16th St,New Castle, Ind. Filed Nov. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 155,401 9 Claims. (Cl.225-23) This inventino relates to a novel and useful dispenser forrolled materials such as paper towels, aluminum foil, and waxed paper.

Housewives and other persons quite often have the need for a handysupply of rolled sheet material such as paper towels and accordingly, itis the main object of this invention to provide a dispenser which may beused for storing a plurality of rolls of material and for convenientlydispensing material from a selected one of the rolls of materialdisposed within the housing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dispenser which maybe readily actuated by one hand and thus convenient to use in anemergency.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a dispenser inaccordance with the preceding objects that is constructed in a mannerwhereby the supply of rolled material therein may be readily renewed.

A further object of this invention" is to provide a dispenser inaccordance with the preceding objects which will be adapted to dispensesubstantially all types of rolled flexible sheet material.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide adispenser for rolled materials which will conform to conventional formsof manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as toprovide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting andrelatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser of the instant inventionshown supported on a wall surface, a portion of the wall being brokenaway and shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the dispenser with parts thereofbeing broken away and shown in sections;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon theplane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially uponthe plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the planeindicated by the section line 55 p of FIGURE 4;

plurality of rolls of sheet material carried in the dispenser.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral generallydesignates the dispenser of the instant invention.

In FIGURE 1 it'may be seen that a suitable support such as a wall 12 hasa recess 14 formed therein and that the dispenser 10 is in the form of asupport structure generally referred to bythe reference numeral 16 andcomprising a hollow housing. The housing 16 includes top and bottomwalls 18 and 20, opposite side walls 22 and 24 and a rear wall 26. Theforward ends of the top, bottom and opposite side walls 18, 20, 22 and24 each terminate in outwardly directing mounting flange portions 28 andthese mounting flange portions 28 abut the surface 30 of the wall 12through which the recess 14 opens.

The front of the housing 16 is open and is provided with a front wallassembly generally referred to by the referencenumeral 32. The frontwall assembly 32 is swingably mounted from the lower mounting flangeportion 28 by means of hinge assemblies generally referred to by thereference numeral 34 which include 'coil springs 36 for normally urgingthe front wall assembly 32 to a closed position such as that illustratedin the drawings.

The front wall assembly 32 includes a front wall panel 38 and upper andlower flanges 40 and 42 as well as opposite side flanges 44 and 46. Theflanges 40, 42, 44 and 46 abut the outer edge portions of thecorresponding mounting flange portions 28 and it will be noted that theupper mounting flange portion 28 is provided with a spring clip 46 whichis releasably engageable in a slot 48 formed in the upper flange 40 ofthe front wall assembly 32. V p

The front wall assembly 32 has three vertically spaced transverselyextending openings 50, 52 and 54 formed therein and swingable accessdoor assemblies 56, 58 and 60 are pivotally mounted by means of hingeassemblies 62 for movement between closed positions closing the openings50, 52 and 54 respectively and open positions such as the open positionin which the access door 60 is disposed in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

Each of the access door assemblies is slightly smaller than thecorresponding opening and defines a discharge slot 64.

The front wall panel 38 has three arcuate inwardly and upwardly curvingguide lips 66 mounted thereon and the forward and lower ends of each ofthe guide lips 66 terminates at the corresponding slot 64 and is alignedtherewith.

Each of the access doors 56, 58 and 60 includes a pair of rearwardlyprojecting opposite side flanges 68 between each pair of which apressure roller shaft 78 is journalled for rotation. Each of thepressure roller shafts 70 has a plurality of pressure rollers 72 mountedthereon and for rotation therewith.

With attention now directed for FIGURES 4 and 7 of the drawings it willbe seen that three journal blocks 74 are secured to the sidewall 24 inany convenient manner such as by welding 76 and that each is providedwith a blind bore 78 in which a stub axle 80 carried by a support roller82 is rotatably received. The opposite end of the support roller 82 hasa retractible stub axle 84 mounted therein and normally urged to anextended position by means of a compression spring 86. The retractiblestub axles 84 are each receivable in a corresponding opening '88 formedin the side wall 22. Thus, it will be noted that each of the supportrollers 82 is rotatably and removably supported in the housing 16.

It may be seen from FIGURE 4 of the drawings that three rolls of sheetmaterial 90, 92 and 94 are rotatably supported by the correspondingsupport rollers 82 and that each roll of sheet material may be replacedin a manv ner which is believed obvious because of the retractible stubaxle 84 by opening the corresponding access door and removing thecorresponding support roller 82.

Also journalled between the opposite side walls 22 and 24 are threedrive roller shafts 96, 98 and 100. Each of the drive roller shafts hasa plurality of drive rollers 102 mounted thereon and it will be notedthat the drive rollers 102 are radially aligned with the correspondingpressure rollers 72. Also, it is to be noted that each of the accessdoors 56, 58 and 60 is provided with a handgrip portion 104 by which thecorresponding access door may be moved from the closed positionillustrated in FIGURE 4 to an open position such as that illustrated inFIGURE 1.

Three microswitch assemblies 106, 108 and 11% are provided and eachincludes a movable actuator 112 which is positioned for engagement byone of the corresponding side flanges 68. The actuator 112 is normallyresiliently urged to an outermost position such as that shown in FIGURES4 and 6 of the drawings and itwill be noted that each of the accessdoors 56, 58 and 60 may be pushed slightly inwardly at its free swingingedge portion to move the pressure rollers 72 into a positionfrictionally gripping the extended end of the sheet materials 114, 116and 118 forming the rolls 9%, 92 and $44. Additionally, inward movementof each of the access doors 56, 58 and 69 will urge the correspondingactuator 112 inwardly whereupon the corresponding microswitch will beactuated.

From FIGURE 6 of the drawings it will be noted that each of the driveroller shafts 96, 98 and 109 has a sprocket wheel 122 mounted thereonand from FIGURE of the drawings it will be seen that an electric motorgenerally referred to by the reference numeral 124 is drivinglyconnected to the shafts 96, 98 and 100 by means of an endless flexiblechain 124 which is entrained about a drive gear sprocket 126 carried bythe shaft 123 which is also journalled in the housing 16 and isdrivingly connected to the motor 124.

With attention now directed to FIGURE 8 of the drawings it will be seenthat one terminal 136 of the motor 124 is connected to a connectionterminal 132 by means of wire 134. A second connection terminal 136 hasone end of a lead wire 138 connected thereto and branch wires 140, M2and 144 each extend from wire 138 and terminate at the free ends in aterminal 146. Each of the microswitch assemblies 106, 108 and 110 havetheir other terminals 148 connected to the other terminal 159 of themotor 124 by means of branch wires 152, 154 and 156. The actuators 112of each microswitch assembly may be moved to bridge the correspondingcontacts 146 and 148 whereupon the motor 124 will be actuated if theterminals 132 and 136 are connected to a suitable source of electricalpotential. Accordingly, inward movement of the lower free swinging endof either of the access doors 56, 5S and 60 will actuate the motor 124.However, inasmuch as the sheet material supported by each one of thesupporting rollers 82 is not normally frictionally gripped between thecorresponding pressure and drive rollers, only that sheet materialassociated with the access door which is moved inwardly will befrictionally gripped between the corresponding pressure and driverollers to be unrolled from the corresponding roll and dischargedthrough the corresponding slot 64.

From FIGURE 1 of the drawings it may be seen that each of the accessdoors 56, 58 and 60 has a cutting element 158 mounted thereon which maybe utilized to tear the sheet material which has been discharged throughthe corresponding slot 64.

It is to be understood that numerous types of rolled sheet material maybe dispensed by means of the dispenser but in most instances the roll 94will be of paper toweling, the roll 92 will be of waxed paper and theroll 90 will be of aluminum foil or other material. Of course, rolls ofsheet plastic may also be utilized as well as rolls of other flexiblematerials.

While the dispenser of the instant invention has been constructed in amanner to render a pleasing appearance in order that it may be used insubstantially all environ ments, it will be also noted that it has beenconstructed in a manner to dispense rolls of flexible sheet material ina highly efficient and economical manner.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A dispenser for rolled materials comprising a supporting structure,at least one support means carried by said support structure adapted torotatably support a roll of sheet material, at least one drive rollermeans rotatably supported from said structure, journalled pressureroller means associated with and generally paralleling each of saiddrive roller means, means mounting said drive and pressure roller meansfor relative movement toward and away from engagement with each other;said drive and roller means being disposed relative to said supportmeans so as to be adapted to have the free end of the corresponding rollof sheet material disposed therebetween, motor means drivingly connectedto said drive roller means, and control means for said motor meansoperatively associated with said mounting means for actuation of saidmotor means in response to relative movement of said pressurerollermeans toward said drive roller to frictionally grip said sheet materialtherebetween.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprisesa hollow housing substantially entirely enclosing said support, motor,drive roller and pressure roller means.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprisesa hollow housing having a front wall, dispensing slot means formed insaid front Wall and guide means carried by said front wall adapted forslidably guiding the free end portion of said sheet material outwardlyof said housing through said slot.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said slot means each have acutter blade cooperating with one longitudinal side edge portion thereoffor cutting off the length of sheet material dispensed from saidhousing.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprisesa hollow housing having a front wall,

dispensing slot means formed in said front wall and guide means carriedby said front wall adapted for slidably guiding the free end portion ofsaid sheet material outwardly of said housing through said slot, saidmounting means including a swingable access door mounted on said frontwall normally urged toward a normally closed position and carrying apressure roller means thereon, said control means comprising switchmeans having a movable actuator coacting with said access door foractuating said motor means in response to movement of said access doorpast said closed position whereby also upon said movement said pressureroller means will frictionally contact the free end of the correspondingroll of sheet material disposed between the pressure roller means andits par allel associated drive roller means.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein said support structure includes aplurality ofsupport means and control means, drive roller and pressureroller means for each of said support means.

7. The combination of claim 1, wherein each of one of said roller meansincludes a plurality of axially spaced diametrically enlarged disksmounted on a support shaft, each of the other of said roller meanscomprising a roller of substantially constant diameter throughout itsentire length.

8. The combination of claim 1, wherein said support structure includes aplurality of support means, control means, and drive roller and pressureroll-er means for each of said support means, said motor means beingsimultaneously drivingly connected to each of said drive roller means.

9. The combination of claim 8, including means resil- 5 iently urgingsaid drive and pr%sure roller means away 2,657,873 from each other.2,969,169 3,015,426 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 5 1 093 701 1,626,257 Swanson et a1 Apr. 26, 19272,275,410 Anderson et a1 Mar. 10, 1942 6 Dittman et a1. Nov. 3, 1953Botnick Jan. 24, 1961 Dietz et a1. Jan. 2, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS GermanyNov. 24, 1960

1. A DISPENSER FOR ROLLED MATERIALS COMPRISING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE,AT LEAST ONE SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE ADAPTED TOROTATABLY SUPPORT A ROLL OF SHEET MATERIAL, AT LEAST ONE DRIVE ROLLERMEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID STRUCTURE, JOURNALLED PRESSUREROLLER MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH AND GENERALLY PARALLELING EACH OF SAIDDRIVE ROLLER MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID DRIVE AND PRESSURE ROLLER MEANSFOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER,SAID DRIVE AND ROLLER MEANS BEING DISPOSED RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORTMEANS SO AS TO BE ADAPTED TO HAVE THE FREE END OF THE CORRESPONDING ROLLOF SHEET MATERIAL DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, MOTOR MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTEDTO SAID DRIVE ROLLER MEANS, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID MOTOR MEANSOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR ACTUATION OF SAIDMOTOR MEANS IN RESPONSE TO RELATIVE